Wednesday, June 11, 2025

Pittsburgh Business Leaders Deliver Letter Urging PA's US Senators To Preserve Federal Energy Tax Credits And 100,000 Jobs In Pennsylvania

On June 11, Pittsburgh business leaders gathered at the Pittsburgh City-County Portico to herald the importance of federal energy tax credits to Pennsylvania’s job market and economy, and then hand-delivered a letter to Senator Dave McCormick and Senator John Fetterman’s Pittsburgh district offices in the name of securing American energy independence. 

The letter they delivered outlines the need to preserve federal energy tax credits in order to save more than 100,000 Pennsylvania energy jobs and help businesses, farms, municipalities, schools and houses of worship continue to save tens of thousands of dollars a year by going solar and leveraging energy efficiency programs.

In addition, these business leaders believe the key to lowering energy costs for all consumers and securing American energy independence lies in adding more reliable, cheap, domestic energy sources to our power grid. 

This includes solar, wind, and battery storage, as well as energy efficiency. 

Renewables,  storage, and demand response have not only achieved the technological advances needed to assist our power grid in running reliably, but the business infrastructure has already been put in place by the visionary leaders of the energy industry.  

Business leaders who spoke included Joe Morinville, President of EIS Solar; Jon Bunyaratapan, Manager of Solar Business Development, Envinity; Kade Amster, Business Development at Greentech Renewables - Pittsburgh; and Joshua Thomas, an energy efficiency contractor and Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) Implementer.

"EIS Solar began in Pittsburgh in 2008 and has since expanded to six other states and Washington, D.C.," said Joe Morinville, President of EIS Solar. "With our growth has come the hiring of 50 workers and helping countless residents and organizations reduce or eliminate their energy bills altogether. We attribute much of our growth to the federal energy tax credits -- if these credits go away, the future of our company, and of our employees, is uncertain."

"Envinity employs over 80 people and for 20 years we’ve helped countless businesses, farms, hospitals, schools, and municipalities save tens of thousands of dollars each year by going solar and becoming more energy efficient," said Jon Bunyaratapan, Manager of Solar Business Development at Envinity. "The federal energy tax credits play a big role in allowing us to help organizations and homeowners find energy independence, as well in providing family-sustaining jobs in the community."

"Greentech Renewables is a leading name in solar distribution, boasting over 100 locations strategically positioned in major solar markets throughout the U.S.," said Kade Amster, Business Development at Greentech Renewables - Pittsburgh. "Our team nationwide is dedicated to supporting developers and investors in installing more solar across the country. However, if the proposed elimination of federal energy tax credits goes through, the damage to our business and many of those we work with could be irreparable."

"PITT OHIO's investments in renewable energy, power storage, and electric vehicles have enabled growth and hiring," said Justine Russ, Director of Sustainability and Business Intelligence at PITT OHIO. "Both customers and employees support our renewable energy projects, notably our patented solar and wind-powered microgrid in Harmar, PA. We join the American Sustainable Business Network and Pennsylvania Sustainable Business Network in urging action on these tax credits.”

Renewables are the fastest and cheapest deployable energy sources available, from large utility-scale wind and solar systems to rooftop solar on homes, businesses, farms, and houses of worship. 

And as energy demand increases from data centers, AI, and cryptocurrencies, adding more energy resources, not subtracting them, is important as is using energy more efficiently.  

The letter delivered by business leaders was initially sent to members of Pennsylvania's congressional delegation in May. 

In the wake of the House vote, Pennsylvania's business community decided to reopen the letter to gather additional signatures and ratchet up pressure on the Pennsylvania delegation to keep energy tax credits intact.

The federal budget bill that recently passed the US House would end energy tax credits as soon as this year. 

Click Here for a copy of the letterClick Here for a video of the event.

Organizing the event were the Pennsylvania Solar Center, Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance and E2 business leaders, investors and professionals.

NewsClip:

-- WESA: PA Clean Energy Businesses Call On McCormick, Fetterman To Preserve Federal Clean Energy Tax Credits

Resource Links:

-- PJM Interconnection Forecasts Adequate Electric Generation For Typical Summer Demands; Preparing Demand Response Resources To Reduce Power Use In Extreme Scenarios  [PaEN] 

-- PUC Urges Electricity Customers To Start Shopping, Conserve Energy To Help Avoid Impact Of June 1 Rate Increases Of Between 5% and 16% On Most Electric Bills  [PaEN] 

-- Bloomberg: US DOE Orders 760 MW Eddystone Peaking Power Plant In Delaware County To Remain Open Due To The Energy ‘Emergency’ Declared By The President  [PaEN] 

-- North American Electric Reliability Corp.: Record Load Growth From Data Centers, High Temperatures Expected To Strain Electric Grid This Summer  [PaEN] 

-- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Summer Electricity Assessment Sees Adequate Generating Resources To Meet Normal Operating Conditions; Higher Natural Gas Prices Driving Electricity Prices Higher  [PaEN] 

-- Gov. Shapiro Provides Update On The Fight To Lower Energy Prices, Calls On General Assembly To Move His Commonsense Lightning Energy Plan  [PaEN] 

-- Rise Of The Machines:  Senate, House Members Express Concern That Demand For Power To Run Computers Is Impacting The Price And Availability Of Electricity For ‘Ordinary People’  [5.12.25] 

-- PUC Hearing On Data Center Growth Impacts Finds 30-40% Of Utility Demand Could Be From Data Centers; Concerns About Stranded Costs; Major Commitments To Net-Zero Carbon Emissions Energy Use [PaEN]

-- PUC House Budget Hearing: We Aren’t Going To Build Our Way Out Of Electric Generation Shortfalls On PJM Grid; We Need To Diversify Our Generation Sources   [PaEN]

-- PUC Invites Stakeholder Comments On The Issue Of The Adequacy Of Electricity Supplies In Pennsylvania  [Background On Issue]  [PaEN]

-- 30 Stakeholder Comments Received By PUC On Adequacy Of Electricity Supplies In Pennsylvania; Increasing Natural Gas Power Plant Reliability To 90-95% Would Mean No Imminent Capacity Problem  [PaEN]

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - June 14 [PaEN] 

-- DEP Posted 96 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In June 14 PA Bulletin  [PaEN]  

Related Articles This Week:

-- DEP: Widespread Non-Compliance With Environmental Laws Continues In Conventional Oil & Gas Industry;  3,108+ Abandoned Wells; At Least 85% Conventional Well Owners Fail To Submit Production, Waste, Well Integrity Reports  [PaEN]

-- DEP’s Oil & Gas Advisory Board Meets June 25 On Well Development Pipelines; Wastewater Management Practices; Future Well Plugging Funding Needs  [PaEN] 

-- PA Senate Republicans Pass Bill To Roll Back Environmental, Health, Safety Regulations By Doing Nothing And Avoiding Accountability  [PaEN]

-- Delaware River Frack Ban Coalition Launch Initiative To Defend The Delaware River Watershed From Oil & Gas Fracking  [PaEN] 

-- Plum Borough Zoning Hearing Board Voted To Deny Penneco Environmental's Application For Another Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Well In Allegheny County  [PaEN] 

-- Protect PT, Partners To Host June 25 Webinar: 5 Years Later - A Progress Report On PA's Grand Jury Report On Fracking  [PaEN] 

-- $100/Well Bounty Established For Previously Unknown Oil & Gas Wells Abandoned By Conventional Well Owners Under New Program Funded By Oil Region Alliance; 4 Penn State Extension Workshops Set  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Reviewing Permits For Drinking Water Treatment System To Provide Water For 21 Homes In Dimock, Susquehanna County Whose Wells Were Contaminated By Shale Gas Drilling 20 Years Ago 

-- 25 Environmental Groups; Local Government Associations Oppose House Bill To Fast Track Large-Scale Energy Generation, Storage Projects Proposed By Gov. Shapiro  [PaEN]

-- Lead Counsel On Court Cases Striking Down Provisions In Act 13 To Preempt Local Regulation Of Oil & Gas Operations Raises Concerns About Proposed Legislation Establishing A RESET Board To Site Large Energy Projects  [PaEN] 

-- Gov. Shapiro Announces Amazon Plans To Invest $20 Billion In Pennsylvania For A.I. Data Center Infrastructure; Amazon Told PUC It Has Net-Zero Carbon Emissions Goal By 2040  [PaEN]  

-- DEP Invites Comments On Air Quality Permit For 72 - 2.5 MW Diesel-Fired Emergency Generators At New Amazon Data Services Data Center In Bucks County  [PaEN]

-- PA Trout Unlimited, 17 Other Environmental, Conservation Organizations Expressed Opposition To Proposed DEP Changes To Spill Reporting Requirements  [PaEN]

-- Republican Sen. Hutchinson Introduces Bill To Abolish DEP Climate Change, Recycling Fund, Coastal Zone Advisory Committees  [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- Rep. Vitali: PA House Environmental Committee Examines Problem Of Abandoned Oil & Gas Wells

-- The Center Square: Higher Plugging Bonds Floated To Help The State’s Abandoned Conventional Well Problem

-- MCall: Is Ban On Fracking In Delaware Watershed At Risk?  Advocates Put Out A Call To Action

-- TribLive: Plum Zoning Board Rejects Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Well After Lengthy Battle In Allegheny County; Company Plans To Appeal  

-- Capital & Main - Audrey Carleton: Pennsylvania Has Failed Environmental Justice Communities For Years; A New Bill Could Change That 

-- Inquirer/Capital & Main- Audrey Carleton: Pennsylvania Has Failed Environmental Justice Communities For Years, A New Bill Could Change That

-- Beaver Times/Inside Climate News- Jon Hurdle: PA Fracking Company Surrenders Water Permits, Can’t Get Enough Water Out Of Big Sewickley Creek In Beaver County

-- TribLive: President Coming To Pittsburgh For PA US Senator McCormick’s July 15 PA Energy & Innovation Summit  

-- Sen. McCormick: President Coming To July 15 PA Energy Innovation Summit In Pittsburgh

-- The Allegheny Front: Pittsburgh 2030 District Buildings Reduce Carbon Emissions By 50%

-- Observer-Reporter Guest Essay: A Future Fueled By Washington County - By Electra Janis, Washington County Commissioner [Hydrogen Hub]

-- Marcellus Shale Gas Coalition: Read The Letters Rejected By The Post-Gazette, Inquirer From The Shale Gas Industry

-- Wall Street Journal: US Electric Bills Headed Higher: Forecast Of Hotter-Than-Normal Summer, More Expensive Natural Gas Mean Pricier Power 

-- Utility Dive: A.I. Data Centers Could Overwhelm The Electric Grid, Unless They Are Required To Run Their Facilities On New Power Sources, Market Analytics Says  

-- Reuters: Data Center Demand To Push US Power Use To Record Highs In 2025-26, EIA Says

-- EarthJustice: 12 Groups File Lawsuit Challenging President Issued Unlawful Exemptions From Mercury, Arsenic Standards For 68 Coal Plants By Email

[Posted: June 11, 2025]  PA Environment Digest

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